FOOTBALL: Dixon scores for West in Shriners Game blowout

Carlinville’s Dixon scores in West Shrine Game blowout

Staff report

The West’s Jacob Dixon of Carlinville dives into the end zone for a touchdown during a 58-7 win over the East in the 43rd Illinois Coaches Association High School Shrine Game Saturday at Illinois Wesleyan’s Tucci Stadium in Bloomington.

Photo by Lewis Marien, Bloomington Pantagraph

BLOOMINGTON — Carlinville’s Jacob Dixon did something not all that unusual Saturday in the annual Shriners All-Star Football game.

He scored a touchdown.

Dixon, who led Carlinville to a second-place finish in the state last fall, scored on a nine-yard run inthe first half, helping the West All-Stars to a 58-7 victory over the East All-Stars at Illinius Wesylen University’s Tucci Stadium.

Dixon,’s TD was one of a truckload by the West, which actually trailed 7-6 early.

Dixon rushed for 3,113 yards on 360 carries and scored 45 touchdowns for the Cavaliers last season.

Following an opening West touchdown by Belvidere quarterback Austin Revolinski, the East Stars grabbed that lead when Danville’s returned the ensuing kickoff 74 yards for a TD. The extra points made it 7-6 East All-Stars.

That lead did not last long.

The West All-Stars erupted, with Revolinski turning a supposedly broken play inmto a 65-yard touchdown pass and another into a two-point conversion. And West linebacker Korbyn Personett returned a pair of interceptions into touchdowns, inlcuding one on the final play of the game.

The West’s Jaleen Hames of Peoria scored a 20-yard touchdown followed by Revolinski’s two-point conversion pass to Max Uranich of La-Salle-Peru on a play that appeared to break down.

Luke Foster of Wheaton-Warrenville South scored on a one-yard run, Dixon scored his TD and a 31-yard interception return by Personett made it 44-7 at halftime. The West All-Stars had six interceptions in the first half aloneand held the East All-Stars to only 10 yards in the first half.

Offensive lineman Zach Turner of Marian Central Catholic received co-MVP honors for the West. Personett was the defensive MVP. Punter Charles Kuhle was the East’s offesnive MVP. Normal Community High’s Ben Wong was named the defensive MVP for the East squad.

Football teams don’t have much time to prepare as a unit for all-star games.

Eons, however, couldn’t have prepared the East squad for the good fortune that befell West quarterback Austin Revolinski. Nor for the open field that linebacker Korbyn Personett traversed on a pair of pick-six interception returns.

Revolinski turned one broken play into a 65-yard scoring pass and another into a point-after conversion. Personett had an interception return of 31 yards for a score in the first half and another of 96 on the final play of the game to help the West to a 58-7 throttling of the East in the Illinois High School Shrine Game on Saturday at IWU’s Tucci Stadium.

“We had some really great highlights by people,” said Auburn coach Dave Bates, head coach of the West squad. “I kind of told them to respond by everybody making a play and those two definitely made plays.”

Revolinski, of Belvidere, scored the first TD of the afternoon, capping a 56-yard drive with a 2-yard run on the game’s opening possession.

Before the West could take total control, however, Danville’s Daryl Kelley gave the East its only points on the ensuing kickoff, returning it 74 yards for a score with the extra-point kick giving his team a brief 7-6 lead.

The advantage was overcome and the floodgates opened on a 20-yard touchdown run by Peoria’s Jaleen James that preceded Revolinski’s broken-play TD pass to Max Uranich of La-Salle-Peru.

“The funny thing is, I was in the dorm (before the game) showing my buddies the same exact play that happened to me when I was a sophomore and all of a sudden it happens again,” said Revolinski of the lemons into lemonade bomb.

“I turn my shoulder, the ball goes over my head, I pick it up and look downfield. I threw it to the receiver standing there, the other guy runs in front of him, takes it and scores a touchdown. It was pretty sweet.”

The West defense combined for a yeoman’s effort as well, limiting the East to 10 total yards in the first half and adding a safety for a 22-7 first-quarter lead.

Touchdown runs of one yard by Iowa recruit Luke Foster of Wheaton-Warrenville South and nine yards by Carlinville’s Jacob Dixon along with Personett’s 31-yard pick six gave the West a 44-7 halftime lead.

“They caught every break in the first half,” said East head coach Mike Allen of GCMS. “I think we had six or seven turnovers that first half and you’re never going to win ballgames that way.”

The West defense had five interceptions in the opening half and added a sixth on Personett’s pick on the final play of the game. Personett’s interception also ended the East’s only scoring threat from scrimmage.

East quarterback and IWU recruit Tyler Jones of Herscher connected with Iowa-bound Charles Kuhle on a pair of passes before a 50-yard completion to Brantrell Seymore of Reavis put the East on the doorstep of the goal line.

“The kids fought hard and played hard until the very end and showed a lot of class,” said Allen. “I was proud of that. Actually, everybody was a winner today. They raised a lot of money for the Shriner’s Hospital, so we’re all winners here.”

The West’s Jacob Dixon of Carlinville dives into the end zone for a touchdown during a 58-7 win over the East in the 43rd Illinois Coaches Association High School Shrine Game Saturday at Illinois Wesleyan’s Tucci Stadium in Bloomington.

http://www.thetelegraph.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_620All-Star-Jacob-Dixon.jpgThe West’s Jacob Dixon of Carlinville dives into the end zone for a touchdown during a 58-7 win over the East in the 43rd Illinois Coaches Association High School Shrine Game Saturday at Illinois Wesleyan’s Tucci Stadium in Bloomington. Photo by Lewis Marien, Bloomington Pantagraph